A77608:319
Heaven on Earth
Heaven on earth or a serious discourse touching a well-grounded assurance of mens everlasting happiness and blessedness. Discovering the nature of assurance, the possibility of attaining it, the causes, springs, and degrees of it, with the resolution of several weighty questions. By Thomas Brooks, preacher of the Gospel at Margarets Fishstreet-Hill.Heaven on earth or a serious discourse touching a wel-grounded assurance of mens everlasting happiness and blessedness. Discovering the nature of assurance, the possibility of attaining it, the causes, springs, and degrees of it, with the resolution of several weighty questions. By Thomas Brooks, preacher of the Gospel at Margarets Fishstreet-Hill.
London: printed by R.I. for John Hancock, 1654
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Thirdly, Real hungerings and thirstings after Christ and his Righteousness, &c. will put the soul upon lively endeavours: If they are true born desires, they will not make the soul idle but active, not negligent but diligent in the use of all holy means, whereby the soul may enjoy Christ and his Righteousness. Isa. 26. 9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night, yea, with my spirit within me, will I seek thee early. Real desires will make men earnest and early in seeking to obtain the thing desired, as the Hebrew word1 imports. A thirsty man will not only long for drink, but labour for it; the2 condemned man will not only desire his pardon, but he will write, and entreat, and weep, and set this friend ⟨p. 291⟩and that to solicit for him; the covetous man doth not only wish for wealth, but will rise early, and go to bed late; he will turn every stone, and make attempts upon all hopeful opportunities, whereby he may fill his bags, and fill his Barns. Even so, all holy desires will put souls upon the use of the means, whereby the mercy desired may be gained. And thus to run, is to attain; thus to will, is to work; thus to desire, is to do the will of our Father, who accepts of pence for pounds, of mites for millions. The Persian Monarch was not so famous for accepting a little water from the hand of a loving Subject, as our God is, for accepting of a handful of Meal,3 for a Sacrifice, and a gripe of Goatshair, for an oblation, for accepting of that little we have, and for accounting our little, much. Noah's Sacrifice could not be great, and yet it was greatly accepted, and highly accounted off by God. Such is Gods condescending love to weak worms, that he looks more at their will, then at their work; he minds more what they would do, then what they do do; he always prefer ⟨p. 292⟩the willing mind, before the worthiest work; and where desires and endeavours are sincere, there God judges such to be, as good as they desire and endeavour to be.